Jaki Byard - The Jaki Byard Experience

Year : 1969
Label : Prestige
Genre : Jazz
Style : Post Bop, Modal, Free Jazz

"The Jaki Byard Experience" featuring pianist Jaki Byard, saxophonist Roland Kirk, bassist Richard Davis & drummer Alan Dawson, was recorded in 1968 with sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder. All are bring together in an iconic classic of the Prestige label considered as a masterpiece of the history of Jazz. Jaki Byard & his combo explore various styles of Jazz including New Orleans (Shine On Me, Memories Of You), Spiritual (Hazy Eye), Free (Parisian Thoroughfare) & Modal styles (Evidence). 

Melvin Sparks - Akilah !

Year : 1972
Label : Prestige
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Funk

Sparks' third LP recorded at studio Rudy Van Gelder with guests Hubert Laws (flute on The Image Of Love), Ernie Royal and George Coleman (respectively trumpet & alto saxophone on  Akilah). Personnel of rhythm section features Idris Muhammad, Leon Spencer and Buddy Caldwell. Titles include all compositions by Melvin Sparks except Love The Life You Live by Kool & The Gang, The Image Of Love by Leon Spencer. Orchestrations arranged by Billy Ver Plank.

Melvin Sparks_guitar

Leon Spencer_organ

Buddy Caldwell_percussion

Idris Muhammad_drums 

Virgil Jones_trumpet

Dave Hubbard_alto saxophone & flute 

Frank Wess_tenor saxophone

Sonny Fortune_alto saxophone

01. Love The Life You Live
02. On The Up
03. All Wrapped Up
04. Akilah
05. Blues For J.B.
06. The Image Of Love

Idris Muhammad - Black Rhythm Revolution !

Year : 1970
Label : BGP/Prestige
Genre : Jazz
Style : Funk/Soul

First solo album  signed on Prestige label and recorded at Rudy Van Gelder studio by Idris Muhammad to Soul Jazz style and high 'Funk' accent. He is surrounded by the same lineup as on his following album, Peace & Rhythm to the exception of Ron Carter & Alan Fontaine' absence. Titles include memorable grooves & powerful drum breaks, Soul covers of James Brown, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Jack McDuff and two originals compositions by Idris Muhammad. All tracks arranged by Clarence Thomas.

Idris Muhammad_drums
Jimmy Lewis_bass
Buddy Caldwell_congas
Harold Mabern_electric piano
Melvin Sparks_guitar
Clarence Thomas_tenor & soprano saxophones
Virgil Jones_trumpet

01. Express Yourself (Charles Wright)

02. Soulful Drums (Jack McDuff)
03. Super Bad (James Brown)
04. Wander
05. By the Red Sea

Bernard Purdie - Purdie Good !

Year : 1971
Label : Prestige
Genre : Soul, Jazz
Style : Funk/Soul

Soul & Fusion Jazz from Prestige Records by Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie, sideman for James Brown, Gato Barbieri, Miles Davis, Gil Scott-Heron and many others from Jazz, Soul Funk (like Aretha Franklin) to Pop Music (like The Rolling Stones). He contributed to James Brown' Cold Sweat (1967) & Say It Loud-I'm Black & I'm Proud (1969), King Curtis' Live at Fillmore West (1971), Miles Davis' Get Up with It (1972), Gato Barbieri' Yesterdays (1974)...

Gordon Edwards_Bass
Norman Pride_Congas
Harold Wheeler_Electric Piano
Billy Nichols & Ted Dunbar_Guitar
Charlie Brown & Warren Daniels_Saxophone
Tippy Larkin_Trumpet

01. Cold Sweat
02. Montego Bay
03. Purdie Good
04. Wasteland
05. Everybody's Talkin'
06. You Turn Me On

Idris Muhammad - Peace And Rhythm

Year : 1971

Label : Prestige

Genre : Jazz

Style : Funk/Soul

Second studio album by the american jazz drummer, Idris Muhammad featuring Ron Carter, Kenny Baron, Melvin Sparks, Clarence Thomas & Virgil Jones. Idris Muhammad started as Leo Morris (his name before his conversion to Islam) with Fats Domino in 1956, later in the sixties, was session musician for various Blue Note recordings and for CTI in the seventies. Idris is best known as sideman for saxophonist Lou Donaldson from 1965 to 1971, collaborating to several of his albums such as the famous Alligator Bogaloo released in 1967. He played with a considerable number of Jazz legends, inter alia, Pharoah Sanders, Reuben Wilson, Lonnie Smith and more recently Ahmad Jamal. Titles include the Peace & Rhythm Suite, Brother You Know You're Doing Wrong written by his wife, Sakinah, and the funky hit song by Wilson Pickett, Don't Knock My Love. All tracks arranged by Clarence Thomas.

Idris Muhammad_drums, cabasa, gong
Ron Carter & Jimmy Lewis_bass
Melvin Sparks & Alan Fontaine_guitar
Kenny Baron_electric piano
Angel Allende_percussion, timbales
Buddy Caldwell_congas
Clarence Thomas_saxophones, flute, bells
Virgil Jones_trumpet
Willie Bivins_vibes

01. Peace & Rhythm Suite : Peace
02. Peace & Rhythm Suite : Rhythm
03. Brother You Know You're Doing Wrong
04. Don't Knock My Love
05. I'm A Believer

Melvin Sparks - Sparks !

Year : 1970
Label : Prestige
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz

Debut album of studio jazz guitarist Melvin Sparks. He started to play in the backing band of Little Willie John, Little Richard and Sam Cooke between 1963 to 1967, on Brother Jack McDuff' Double Barrelled Soul in 1968, Reuben Wilson' Blue Mode & Lou Donaldson' Everything I Play Is Funky in 1969. He recorded Sparks ! with a great combo featuring Virgil Jones, John Manning, Leon Spencer Jr., Idris Muhammad and special guest saxophonist Houston Person on The Stinker. Titles include Thank You & Spill The Wine by Sly & Family Stone & Eric Burdon with War respectively, a great composition of Spencer, The Stinker. Recorded at studio Rudy Van Gelder.

Melvin Sparks_guitar

Leon Spencer Jr._organ

Idris Muhammad_drums

Virgil Jones_trumpet

John Manning_tenor saxophone

 01. Thank You

02. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
03. Charlie Brown
04. The Stinker
05. Spill The Wine

Richard "Groove" Holmes - Soul Message

Year : 1965
Label : Prestige
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz

Richard 'Groove' Holmes is considered as a precursor of Soul Jazz and a great player of organ Hammond B3. Titles include superb variation of the classic Song for my Father by Horace Silver, the Jazz hit Misty by Erroll Garner and Clifford Brown' Dahoud. Recorded at studio Rudy Van Gelder.

Richard 'Groove' Holmes_organ

Gene Edwards_guitar

Jimmie Smith_drums

01. Groove's Groove
02. Dahoud
03. Misty
04. Song for my Father
05. Things We Did Last Summer
06. Soul Message